The National Basketball Association and the NBA Players Association donates $250,000 to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of the organization’s emergency relief efforts in central Philippines, which was devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that hits the central part of the Philippines last weekend.
The Super Typhoon Yolanda is one of the strongest typhoon in history which left thousands of people homeless in the the province of Leyte, Cebu and Iloilo in central parts of the Philippines.
According to Caryl Stern, the President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, “We are incredibly grateful to the NBA and NBPA for their generosity and commitment to helping UNICEF save children’s lives,” as stated in a official statement.
The Associated Press also reported that the NBA is planning to make another donation to a second organization and is encouraging others to help in the relief efforts.
One of the most recognizable Filipino in the NBA, Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, whose mother hails from San Pablo, Laguna, will appear in a U.S. Fund for UNICEF Public Service Announcement to help raise funds for the relief efforts.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a huge following in the country for the past few years. The NBA also played for the first time in the Philippines last October featuring the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers in a pre-season game held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
